A few years ago, many of K-pop’s best tracks were buried as b-sides. This year was different, with most of my favorite music promoted as title tracks. I certainly prefer this approach. After all, great songs should be paired with great visuals/choreo whenever possible. However, it made for a slightly less prolific slate of “buried … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Smile (from Fever Season – 2019) This is one of those songs you put on during a summer road trip. It’s mildly diverting and stuffed with good vibes, but doesn’t steal attention away from driving. The chorus is a bit cutesy but … Continue reading
K-pop has been a singles-driven market for awhile now, but that only seems to be truer with each passing year. Either comebacks don’t have enough songs to be called an “album,” or the b-sides are clearly designed to pad a tracklist rather than stand out on their own. With that said, there were a handful … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Show Up (from Time For Us – 2019) Show Up opens with a burst of tropical synth before segueing into a breezy dance beat. This arrangement remains consistent throughout, blooming into a more robust energy as we hit the chorus. It’s a … Continue reading
With each new digital single from NCT’s Mark, we get closer to the release of his long-rumored solo album. That album seems to be slated for next year, but he’s capping off 2024 with a collaboration with popular rapper Lee Youngji. Fraktsiya (프락치) means “fraction” in Russian and sees him experimenting with production for a … Continue reading
Now that I’ve taken a look at the new acts that dominated 2024, it’s time to focus on their established counterparts. Though my favorite group of the year was a rookie, most of my favorite music came from artists who debuted in years prior. As usual, the criteria is built around these three factors: Quality … Continue reading
It’s a longstanding tradition for YG Entertainment to release follow-up music videos from its artists’ albums. This approach has faded a bit in recent years, but the agency seems determined to solidify rookies BABYMONSTER within their successful lineage. Part of me wishes they would have terrorized us with an mv for the ghastly Woke Up … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Secret Diary (Yerin & SinB) (from Walpurgis Night – 2020) This is the last of Walpurgis Night’s unit tracks I’ll be writing about and my thoughts pretty much fall in line with the previous two. These unit tracks feel like a missed … Continue reading
Before I take a look at K-pop’s established artists, it’s time to spotlight this year’s fresh crop of talent! When I ran my first-ever Bias List survey, I was surprised when the majority of respondents noted that this year’s rookies were not particularly exciting. But when I took a look back at the year as … Continue reading
This post is your one-stop shop for all my end-of-year countdowns. It will be stickied to the top of the blog for the remainder of the year. Check back often for new links to new countdowns, and make sure you check out past years’ masterposts if you’re interested! Top 50 K-Pop Songs >> 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11, 10-1 Top 40 … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Say My Name (from Snowflake – 2016) It’s not easy following Rough on any track list, but Say My Name is up to the task. It’s a great dance track, fueled by an unresolved electro riff that has the same chugging intensity … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Rough (from Snowflake – 2016) Previous Thoughts: “From the intricate string sections to the dramatic guitar solo, you can really sink your teeth into the instrumental. From a production standpoint, it’s pretty much flawless. Everything feels so dense and layered, yet doesn’t … Continue reading
Prior to their official debut in March of 2018, Stray Kids released an EP titled Mixtape, largely compiling the songs featured on their pre-debut reality series. Nearly seven years later, they’re back with their first actual mixtape — though the definition of “mixtape” is pretty darn loose when it comes to K-pop. The project’s “single,” … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Room Of Mirrors (from Song Of The Sirens – 2020) “Room Of Mirrors” is the most evocative title and prepares you for a song as equally mysterious. It’s a bit surprising, then, that this turns out to be a fairly standard GFriend … Continue reading
Since leaving SM Entertainment for Griffin Entertainment, SHINee’s Onew has been pretty prolific, releasing a mini album, OST and — as of today — digital single Yay (만세). He seems ready to spread his musical wings, crafting a diverse set of songs that reflect his various strengths. Yay traverses several moods within its three minute … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Red Umbrella (from Parallel / Rainbow – 2017) This is such a burst of summer energy. It’s the closest GFriend’s music ever got to bossa nova, yet it also pulls in a hearty dose of disco. The track is on the lighter … Continue reading
I didn’t watch Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace, but I’m enjoying my own post-show ranking as each artist releases new material. So far, I must give the crown to 8TURN with CRAVITY just behind. Next up is YOUNITE, who placed fourth on the series’ finale. Earlier this year YOUNITE impressed with the fun hip-hop … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 